Aragón

The town of Fuentecilla is in need of a miracle. Thankfully, this Thursday, they’re going to get one. Al pueblo de Fuentecilla le hace falta un milagro. Con un poco de suerte, este jueves, lo van a recibir.

In the Spanish film from 1957 Los jueves, milagro(Miracles on Thursday), directed by Luis García Berlanga, Fuentecilla is a typical dying Spanish village of the 1950s. Once upon a time, there was a medicinal spa, but now it’s all but abandoned. After hearing the story of Fátima in Portugal, a few of the town’s elders get the idea to stage a miracle to bring people to their town. After “Saint Dimas” appears to the town idiot, they have a chance to attract tourists once more and sell blessed water. Will their plan work? Well, if there wasn’t that mysterious stranger who looks like the real Saint Dimas…En la película española de 1957 Los jueves, milagro, dirigida por Luis García Berlanga, Fuentecilla es un pueblo español decadente típico de los años 1950. Erase una vez, había una spa de medicina, pero ahora es casí abandonado por completo. Después de escuchar la historia de Fátima en Portugal, algunos de los hombres mayores del pueblo tienen la idea de fingir un milagro para atraer gente a su pueblo. Después de la apariencia de “San Dimas” al tonto del pueblo, tienen una oportunidad de atraer turistas otra vez más y vender agua milagrosa. ¿Funcionará su plan? Pues…si no había este desconocido raro que parece el San Dimas real…

The film had to deal with a ton of censorship as it dared to criticize the Catholic church in Spain in the 1950s! Gasp! Berlanga wanted to end the film with Mauro (Manuel Alexandre) awaiting a miracle that never happened, but the church intervened and we were left with current ending with the mysterious stranger performing miracles. La película no le gustó nada a la censura española del tiempo porque criticó la iglesia católica española en los 1950s. ¡Qué horror! Berlanga quiso acabar la película con Mauro (Manuel Alexandre) esperando un milagro que nunca pasará, pero la iglesia intercedió y tenemos el final actual con el desconocido misterioso haciendo milagros.

Due to the script “help” from Padre Garau, Berlanga wanted to include him in the credits, but they wouldn’t allow him to do so. Dado a la “ayuda” de Padre Garau, Berlanga quiso incluirlo en los créditos, pero no le permitieron.

Samarucs, the LGBT+ sports group of València, planned a two-day hiking trip for the weekend of 17-18 February to Tinença de Benifassà, located in very northern part of the Valencian province Castelló. You never know what the weather has planned, especially in the winter, and the weather forecasts weren’t very promising. Samarucs already had to postpone and cancel a route in Carrícola due to Valencia’s decision to rain only on Sunday’s and only in winter. This time around, we were in luck. Samarucs, el grupo deportivo LGBT+ de València, tenía planificado una ruta de senderismo para el fin de semana de 17-18 de febrero a Tinença de Benifassà, ubicado en el norte de la provincia valenciana de Castellón. Nunca se sabe que tiene planificado el tiempo, especialmente en el invierno, y el tiempo no prometía. Samarucs ya había tenido que aplazar y anular una ruta a Carrícola dado a la decisión de València solo llover los domingos del invierno este año. Pero esta vez, tuvimos bastante suerte con el tiempo.

Tinença de Benifassà is at the very north of the Comunitat Valenciana and borders Aragón (Teruel) and Catalunya (Tarragona). It has been a Parque Natural (Natural Park) since 2006. It’s closely connected to Els Ports in Catalunya and Matarraña in Aragón. The villages have become rather unpopulated due to the Spanish migration to the cities in the second half of the 20th century. Tinença de Benifassà está al norte de la Comunitat Valenciana y hace frontera con Aragón (Teruel) y Catalunya (Tarragona). En 2006 fue declarado un parque natural. Tiene muchas conexiones con Els Ports en Catalunya y Matarraña en Aragón. Hoy en día sus pueblos son despoblados dado a la migración española a las ciudades durante la segunda parte del Siglo XX.

We met at the normal meeting point of Torres de Quart at 7:30 on Saturday morning. After picking up the guide, Joan, along the way, we arrived at the hotel-restaurant near our point of departure, the Embassament (Reservoir) d’Ulldecona. We had coffee before taking a dirt road to the place where we would leave the cars. Due to the extreme drought most of the peninsula is suffering (my ex-home of Bilbao just had their rainiest winter since 1950, so not the entire peninsula), the reservoir was nearly dry. It was beautiful, but the pictures I saw of it with water made it look even more beautiful. Quedamos en el punto de encuentro de siempre, los Torres de Quart, a las 7:30 de la mañana el sábado. Después de recoger nuestro guía, Joan, llegamos al hotel-restaurante cerca de donde íbamos a empezar la ruta, el Embassament (embalse) d’Ulldecona. Tomamos un café antes de tomar una pista hasta donde dejamos los coches. Dado a la sequía grave que la mayoría de la península está sufriendo (mi antiguo hogar de Bilbao están pasando su invierno más lluvioso desde 1950, entonces, no todo la península sufre la sequía), el embalse estaba casí seco por completo. Todavía era bonito, pero las fotos que vi del embalse eran más bonitas.

We left the cars near an abandoned house and were on our way. We had two long days of hiking ahead of us. We started going up and soon were rewarded with beautiful views of the area. We stopped to take photos in a cave that had spectacular vistas of the entire area, and those views only kept improving. This area is the Portell de l’Infern, or the Gateway to Hell. (I thought that was at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue now but…) Dejamos los coches a lado de una casa abandonada y empezamos a caminar. Nos esperaban dos días duros de caminar. Empezamos a subir y después recibimos el premio de vistas preciosas de la zona. Paramos para hacer fotos en una cueva que tenía vistas espectaculares de toda la zona. Las vistas se mejoraban. Esta área se llama el Portell de l’Infern (Portillo del infierno en castellano.)

We continued on, stopping briefly ever so often for water breaks or to make sure no one got lost at a fork in the road. Seguimos, parando de cuando en cuando para beber agua o asegurarnos que nadie se perdía en una bifurcación.

After eating, we continued on our way. We climbed the Tossal de (3) Reis mountain, 1352 metres above sea level. I was fascinated by this because there is a point where three autonomous regions meet. I was in la Comunitat Valenciana, Catalunya and Aragón at the same time. I know I’m a Spain and Spanish geography geek, but it was a highlight of my entire time in Spain so far. I haven’t been to Four Corners in the US, but I think this was more special due to the effort it takes to arrive. Después de comer, seguimos. Subimos el Tossal de Reis montaña con sus 1352 metros de altura. Me fascinó porque hay un punto donde tres comunidades autónomas se unen. Estaba en la Comunitat Valenciana, Catalunya y Aragón a la misma vez. Sé que soy friki de España y también de su geografía, pero era uno de los mejores momentos de mi tiempo en España. Nunca he estado en los “Four Corners” (Cuatro Esquinas) en los EEUU, pero creo que este es más especial dado al esfuerzo para llegar.

We awoke around 7 on Sunday to get ready, have breakfast and be out the door by 8. We had a long day ahead of us. It was cold with grey skies, the sun and “caloret” of València far away from us. We climbed to the top of Negrell. If it hadn’t been so foggy, we could have seen magnificent views of the entire area. (I’ve been teaching conditionals.) It was still really beautiful despite the fog. Nos despertamos sobre las 7 para prepararnos, desayunar y irnos antes de las 8 el domingo (era 8:11 si recuerdo bien). Nos esperaba otro día duro. Hacía frío con cielos grises. Estábamos lejos del sol y “caloret” de València. Subimos hasta la cima de Negrell. Si no hubiera sido tan neblinoso, habríamos podido ver vistas preciosas de la zona. Aún era precioso con la niebla.

We started to descend into the valley when we ran into some hunters looking for wild boar. At the sight of their rifles, I thought “how Alanis-Ironic, to leave the US only to be accidentally shot by a hunter in Spain. Basically, to avoid risk, we were left with a new choice: to do extra kilometres around the mountains or to take a shorter path through potential risk straight to the cars. The original hike wasn’t an option due to the hunt. Empezamos la bajada al barranco cuando cruzamos con unos cazadores buscando jabalines. Cuando vi sus rifles, pensaba sería casi ironía, marcharme de los EEUU y después tener un cazador tirarme por acidente en España. Para evitar riesgo, teníamos que elegir: o hacer más kilómetros o hacer una ruta más corta por una zona de riesgo que hacía directamente a los coches. La ruta planificada no era una opción dado a la caza.

This postponed our planned stop at least 40 minutes, and by the time we arrived to the clearing, we were pretty tired and ready for a snack. The views we passed were beautiful, however, and there was snow, despite the sun appearing and the temperature increasing throughout the day. Teníamos que posponer el descanso al menos 40 minutos, y cuando llegamos al collado, estábamos bien cansados y listos para almorzar. Las vistas eran preciosas, y había nieve. Durante la mañana, el sol empezó a salir y la temperatura empezó a subir.

We stopped to eat at a lookout near a mountain that was very similar to Catalunya’s most famous mountain, Montserrat. The views were spectacular, among the best I’ve seen in my entire life (and I have been to the Grand Canyon). Paramos para comer en un mirador cerca de un monte que es parecido al monte más famoso de Catalunya, el Montserrat. Las vistas eran espectaculares, quizás unas de las mejores que he visto en mi vida, y he estado en el Gran Cañón del Río Colorado (¡está en Arizona, no Colorado!)

It was still another 2.5 hours to the cars. Someone commented that for every hour, the weight on your back felt ten grams more. I totally believe it. Everyone takes away something different from these excursions and learns some sort of lesson. While I opted for my backpack from the 2016 Camino and not the monster from 2017, it still was not adequate for thru-hiking. I don’t know how I fit all my stuff it 2016 as I know I had more stuff. I do know that I need a new sleeping bag, as I strongly believe the one I have now is not conducive to a light pack. Todavía nos quedaban 2,5 horas para llegar a los coches. Alguien comentó que, para cada hora que caminas, el peso de la mochila aumenta 10 gramos. Me lo creo. Cada persona lleva algo diferente de estas excursiones y aprende algo. Aunque utilicé la mochila que utilicé durante el Camino del Norte en 2016 y no el monstruo de 2017, todavía no era adecuada por senderismo de travesía. No sé como cupo todo en la mochila en 2016 y recuerdo tener aún más cosas. Sé que me hace falta un saco de dormir nuevo, como creo que el que tengo ahora no está bien para tener una mochila que no pesa tanto.

We had to go back to Barcelona to catch a flight, so I made sure we passed by the village. We had already passed by close, and if I had known just how close, we would have stopped on the way to Donostia. Nevertheless, it was a good stopping point on the way back, even if a bit out of a direct route between Bilbao and Barcelona. Teniamos que volver a Barcelona para coger un vuelo, y aseguré que pasamos por el pueblo. Ya habíamos pasado cerca, y si hubiera sabido tan cercano estábamos el lunes anterior, habríamos parado por el camino a Donostia. Sin embargo, era un buen punto de parada por la vuelta, aunque un poco de desavío de una ruta directa entre Bilbao y Barcelona.

We left Bilbao about 9 in the morning without any problems. I figured out how to allow toll roads on the GPS, so we were doing well. The route took us south, past Vitoria-Gasteiz and on through Navarra again. Beautiful views, of course. Salimos de Bilbao a las 9 de la mañana sin problemas. Por fin, me enteré en como pude permitir peajes en el sistema de GPS. Íbamos bien. La ruta nos llevó al sur, y pasamos Vitoria-Gasteiz y después Navarra otra vez. Vistas preciosas, desde luego.

The village of Sos del Rey Católico only has 614 residents, but it has a famous past. It was founded in 907 and incorporated in 1044. In 1452, the Queen Juana Enríquez Córdoba moved there and gave birth to Ferdinand, who later married Isabel and created this different country called Spain. El pueblo de Sos del Rey Católico solo tiene 614 habitantes, pero tiene un pasado famoso. Se fundió en el año 907 y se incorporó en 1044. En 1452, la Reina Juana Enríquez Córdoba se trasladó allí y dio la luz a Ferdinand, quien después se casó con Isabel para crear este país diferente que llamamos España.

The village today has a beautiful castle with amazing views, a Parador (I wish I had stayed at this one too!), Palacio de los Sada, where Ferdinand was born, and the old city gates. It’s the perfect medieval village to wander, and I did just that for about an hour, absorbing as much as possible. Hoy en día, el pueblo tiene un castillo bonito con vistas impresionantes, un Parador (ojalá que pudiera alojarme en este también), Palacio de los Sada, donde nació Ferdinand, y las puertas antiguas de la ciudad. Es el pueblo medieval perfecto para deambular, y lo hice durante una hora, absorbiendo tanto como posible de este pueblo magnifico.

The rest of the trip went without incident. I stopped in Ejea de los Caballeros so we could have lunch. It was American Thanksgiving Day, but a regular Thursday in Spain. It was a good lunch either way for only 12€. El resto del viaje era sin problemas. Paré en Ejea de los Caballeros para la comida. Era el día de Acción de Gracias en EEUU, pero un jueves normal en España. No importa, comemos bien para solo 12€.

It was a relief to finally make it back to the motorway/highway where I could go 120 KM an hour again. We arrived to Barcelona without incident, although the car navigation suggested I stop to rest twice along the way. I listened. Any excuse for a café con leche! Era un gran alivio llegar al autovía donde pude conducir a limite de velocidad de 120 kilómetros otra vez. Llegamos a Barcelona sin incidente, aunque la navegación de coche me dijo dos veces que debería parar para descansar. Le hice caso.

This road trip was over, but the next day we had an early morning flight to…Hemos terminado el viaje de coche, pero el próximo día tuvimos que coger un vuelo primera hora de la mañana a….

A continuación…

The rest of the road trip can be found here and here. Se puede leer más del viaje de coche aquí y aquí.

Huesca is a province of Aragón located in the Pyrenees near the French border. The population is near 230,000 with the majority of the denziens living in the capital city of Huesca. It’s also the home of a lot of ski resorts. Jaca is another important city. I finally went for the first time in March 2017. It was well worth the wait, and I look forward to exploring it more one day. Huesca es una provincia de Aragón situado en los Pirineos cerca de la frontera francesa. La población es unos 230.000 habitantes con la mayoria viviendo en Huesca capital. También hay muchos estaciones de esquí. Jaca es otra ciudad importante. Por fin fui por la primera vez en marzo de 2017. Merecía la pena, y me da ilusión volver un día para explorar la provincia más.

ELS SET MERAVELLES DE HUESCA

Canfranc

An old, abandoned train station in the mountains of Huesca. Incredible. Una estación de tren abandonada situado en los montes de Huesca. Increíble.

Ciudadella de Jaca

The “Castle of San Pedro” is at the centre of a beautiful town with views of the nearby mountains. It was built under King Felipe II in the 16th and 17th centuries and restored in 1968. El Castillo de San Pedro está en el centro de un pueblo bonito con vistas de los Pirineos cercanos. Fue construido durante el reino del Rey Felipe II en los Siglos XVI y XVII y fue restaurado en 1968.

Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña (yet to be discovered)

The Monastery of San Juan de la Peña is located near Santa Cruz de los Serós. It was built in 920, and rebuilt after a fire in 1675. The old monastery has been a National Monument since 1889 and the new one since 1923. It is built into the rock and the Holy Grail is said to have been sent there before being sent to its current location in the Cathedral of Valencia. El monasterio de San Juan de la Peña está ubicado cerca de Santa Cruz de los Serós. Fue construido en 920 y reconstruido después de un incendio en 1675. El monasterio antiguo fue declarado Monumento Nacional en 1889 y el nuevo en 1923. Está construido en la roca y se dice que el Santo Grial era mandado allí antes de mandarselo a la Catedral de Valencia, donde se dice está ahora.

Castillo de Loarre (yet to be discovered)

The Castle of Loarre is one of the oldest in Spain, built in the 11th and 12th centuries. It was important in the Reconquista. It was seen in the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven. El Castillo de Loarre es uno de los castillos más antiguos de España, construido en los Siglos XI y XII. Era muy importante durante la Reconquista. Era usado en la película Kingdom of Heaven en 2005.

Ordesa y Monte Perdido (Yet to be discovered)

The Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park is known for its waterfalls and wildlife. It is a glacier valley in the Pyrenees and has been a national park in some form since 1918. El Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido es muy conocido por sus cascadas y su fauna. Es un valle glaciar en los Pirineos y ha sido un parque nacional en alguna forma desde 1918.

Alquézar (Yet to be discovered)

Alquézar is a small village of 300 people. Its name comes from the Arabic word for “castle” or “fortress” and located in the Sierra y Cañones Parque Natural (Mountain and canyons). Alquézar es un pueblo pequeño de 300 personas. Su nombre viene de la palabra de árabe por “castillo” o “alcázar”. Está ubicado en el Parque Natural Sierra y Cañones.

Aínsa (Yet to be discovered)

Aínsa is another village in the Pyrenees and has 2173 inhabitants. It is also located in the Sierra y Cañones Parque Natural and has a castle in addition to beautiful mountain views. It usually comes up in those “Most Beautiful Spanish Villages” lists. Aínsa es otro pueblo del Pirineo y tiene 2173 habitantes. También está situado en la Parque Natural Sierra y Cañones. Tiene un castillo y vistas preciosas del monte. Suele salir en las listas de los pueblos más bonitos de España.

Jaca is not the biggest city in the province of Huesca, as it only has 13, 396 residents, but it is probably the most famous. I had been wanting to travel there for a long time, but for whatever reasons, the province of Huesca has eluded me until now. Jaca no es la ciudad más grande de la provincia de Huesca, como solo tiene 13.396 habitantes, pero creo que es la más famosa. Llevo mucho tiempo queriendo ir allí, pero hasta ahora, no he tenido la oportunidad ir a la provincia de Huesca.

It’s popular with the Basques due to skiing, and the Basque presence is definitely noted in this Aragonese town. La ciudad es popular con los vascos dado a su proximidad a estaciones de esquí, y se nota mucho la presencia vasca en este pueblo aragonés.

The bus ride from Zaragoza took about 2.5 hours, and while it passed through some spectacular scenery, I was more than anxious to get off the bus. I dropped my stuff off at the AirBNB, which was in an old pensión, I believe, and went off to explore the town. El viaje de autobús de Zaragoza tardó sobre 2,5 horas, y aunque pasaba por paisaje espectacular, estaba ansioso llegar a mi destino. Dejé mis cosas en el AirBNB, que estaba en una pensión antigua, creo, y fui a explorar el pueblo.

The most famous monument of the former capital of Aragón is the Ciudadela (Citadel), which is pretty impressive. It’s also known as the Castillo of San Pedro (St. Peter’s Castle). It’s in the centre of town and at sunset, many people were walking or resting on the green on a beautiful mid-March afternoon. El monumento más famoso de la ex-capital de Aragón es la Ciudadela, que es impresionante. También es conocido como el Castillo de San Pedro. Está en el centro del pueblo y al atardecer, había mucha gente paseando y descansando en el césped en una tarde bonita de marzo.

The Cathedral is also pretty nice and is from the 11th Century. The city of Jaca is close enough to the Pyrenees for skiers and snowboarders to stay the night, so although it’s small, it’s always full of life. La Catedral (del Siglo XI) también es bonita. Jaca está cerca a los Pirineos y muchos esquiadores y aficionados del snowboard hacen noche allí. Aunque es una ciudad pequeña, siempre hay ambiente.

Friday morning, I was originally going to catch the 8:25 bus to Canfranc, but I was locked inside the building, as I couldn’t figure out how the key that was supposed to unlock the door worked. The gates were closed with a padlock, so I just went upstairs and rested a bit. Viernes por la mañana, tenía pensando coger el autobús a las 8.25 a Canfranc, pero me encontré cerrado en el edificio. No sabía como funcionaba la cerradura. Volví a la cama para descansar un poco más.

Canfranc is a can’t miss site for anyone travelling through this region of the Pyrenees. It’s home of an abandoned train station. The train station is mysterious and beautiful, and of course, it has spectacular views of the mountains. The station was closed in 1970 when there was a train derailment on the French side (France is about 5 kilometres away), causing the destruction of a bridge which France never rebuilt. Two passenger trains arrive daily from Zaragoza. No se puede perder Canfranc si estás viajando por esta parte de los Pirineos. Es el hogar de una estación de tren abandonada. La estación es misteriosa y preciosa, y desde luego tiene vistas espectaculares de los montes. Se cerró la estación en 1970 cuando había un descarrilamiento de tren por el lado francés que causó la destrucción de un puente. Francia nunca reconstruyó. (France está a unos 5 kilómetros de Canfranc). Hoy en día hay dos trenes de pasajeros que llegan de Zaragoza todos los días.

After exploring this fascinating village of 454 people, I returned to Jaca for lunch. After lunch, I set upon my afternoon goal, climbing Rapitán to the fort. The hike takes a little over an hour from the city centre and is located 1142 metres (3746 feet) above sea level. I walked around the fort, wrote in my personal travel journal, meditated and enjoyed the views before heading back to Jaca. Después de explorar esta pueblo fascinante de 454 personas, volví a Jaca para comer. Después de comer, tocaba el reto de la tarde: subir Rapitán al fuerte de Rapitán. La ruta tarda más o menos una hora del centro de la ciudad y está situado a 1142 metros sobre el mar. Di una vuelta por el fuerte, escribí en mi diario de viaje personal, medité y disfruté de las vistas antes de volver a Jaca.

That night, they were having a festival of drum corps, so the entire city reverberated with the percussion. The token Irish pub (in Spain, if a village has two bars, at least one is an Irish pub) was surprisingly empty for being St. Patrick’s Day. I had on my green Ireland shirt for the day. I do have Irish ancestors from way back. Esta noche, había un festival de percusión, y toda la ciudad sonaba de tambores. El pub irlandés (en España, si un pueblo tiene dos bares, al menos uno es irlandés) era vació por ser el día de San Patricio. Estaba llevando mi camiseta irlandesa por el día, como tengo antepasados irlandeses.

Saturday morning, I bid my adieu to Jaca and caught the bus to Huesca, where I would later catch a bus to Barcelona to end my holiday. Sábado por la mañana, me despedí a Jaca y cogí el autobu´s a Huesca, donde tenía que coger un autobús a Barcelona para terminar mis vacaciones.

Huesca capital has a population of 52,347. Unfortunately, the combination bus-train station didn’t have any place to leave my luggage. None of the lockers had keys. I sighed and explored the city with my backpack (training for the Camino) and laptop case (which I won’t have on the Camino). Huesca capital tiene una población de 52.347. No había una consigna para dejar el equipaje, y ninguna de las taquillas disponía de un llave. Me suspiré y exploré la ciudad con mi mochilla (entrenamiento para el Camino) y bolsa de portátil (que no tendré en el Camino).

The Cathedral was nice, and the old town was worth visiting too. I had lunch in the Plaza de Catedral, which I do not recommend. A few hours gave me enough time to see the city, which looked like a good place to live and a good base to explore the Pyrenees. However, I prefer Jaca. La catedral estaba bien, y el casco antiguo merece la pena. Comí en la Plaza de Catedral. No lo recomiendo. Unas horas me dio suficiente tiempo para ver la ciudad. Me parece una sitio bonito para vivir y un buen base para explorar los Pirineos. Sin embargo, prefiero Jaca.

Now…only three provinces left in my quest to set foot in every Spanish province. This holiday, however, was far from over…Ahora…con solo tres provincias en mi reto pisar todas las provincias españolas. Sin embargo, las vacaciones todavía no han acabado.

The day had finally arrived for my escape from Fallas. I caught a BlaBlaCar from Valencia to the capital city Teruel, population 35, 675. I arrived to Spain’s smallest provincial capital city around 9:30 and left my luggage at the bus station so I could explore the town without a big pack and computer case. El día, por fin, ha llegado para mi escape de Las Fallas. Cogí un BlaBlaCar desde València a la capital de la provincia de Teruel, población 36.675. Llegué a la capital provincial más pequeña de España sobre las 9.30 y dejé el equipaje en la estación de autobuses para poder explorar la ciudad sin una mochila grande y bolsa de portátil.

I had been to Teruel before in 2011, and I have been wanting a return visit ever since. I had a coffee at the bar inside the tower across from the bus station before setting off to re-explore. Ya había estado en Teruel una vez antes, en 2011, y he querido volver desde entonces. Me tomé un café en el bar dentro del torre enfrente de la estación antes de empezar a explorar la ciudad una vez más.

I had already visited a few of the museums on the first trip, so this visit was just to walk around the city and enjoy the atmosphere. The town is home of Mudéjar architecture, and I climbed up one of the towers, el Torre de El Salvador. It gave excellent vantage points of the city and surrounding countryside. Ya había visitado muchos de los museos en mi primer viaje, y esta visita era para pasear la ciudad y disfrutar su ambiente. Es el hogar de la arquitectura Mudéjar. Subí uno de los torres, el Torre de El Salvador. Dio vistas excelentes de la ciudad y el paisaje próximo.

I also visited the most famous statue of the city, El Torico. I loved the little bull. También visité la estatua más famosa de la ciudad, El Torico. Me encanta el toro pequeño.

I was surprised and happy I double-checked the bus timetable when I left my baggage, as the bus left at 14:10, not 15:30 as stated on the internet. Remember, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet! I had a quick bocadillo de chorizo before taking off to Albarracín. Me sorprendí cuando comprobé el horario de autobús cuando dejé el equipaje, como el autobús salió a las 14.10 y no a las 15.30 como dice en internet. Recuerda, no se puede creer todo que pone en internet. Comí un bocadillo de chorizo en la estación antes de coger el autobus a Albarracín.

The bus was more a large van, and it was pretty full. It also served as school transport between the school on the outskirts of Albarracín and the village. El autobús es mejor dicho un furgoneta grande, y estaba casí completo. También sirve como el transporte escolar entre la escuela en las afueras de Albarracín y el pueblo.

I checked in and left my stuff behind and went exploring the town. I found myself on a trail that led out to a hermitage not too far from the pueblo that provided spectacular views of the village and surrounding mountains. Hice check-in y dejé mis cosas en la pensión y fui a explorar. Me encontré en un sendero que fue hasta una ermita cerca al pueblo. Había vistas espectaculares del pueblo y el monte.

I retraced my steps and then went to the top of hill that had the city walls and walked along them for a short while. I found myself in the village shortly after, stopping at the tourism office to double check the time the one bus left in the morning (8.55, and it was on time too, spoiler alert). I had a quick coffee and walked along the Fluvial Trail next to the Guadalaviar. Volví y después subí el monte que tenía las murallas de la ciudad. Caminé a lado de ellas un rato y después me encontré en el pueblo. Verifiqué el horario del único autobús (8.55, y llegó puntual, aviso de espoiler)

The cathedral and castle were closed, but I did go up to the castle to see what ruins I could. The streets are beautifully preserved and cobblestone. La catedral y el castillo estaban cerrados, pero subí las ruinas del castillo. Las calles son buen preservados y adoquinadas.

It was hard to find a cheap place for dinner that was open on a Wednesday in March that was a workday for 95% of Spain, so I splurged a bit. I got a good night’s sleep and left the next morning at 8.55. I arrived back in Teruel and had time to go to the meeting point for my next BlaBlaCar that would take me to Zaragoza where a bus for my next destination was awaiting me. Era algo difícil encontrar un sitio barato para cenar cuando era un miércoles de marzo y la mayoría de la península tenían que trabajar. Entonces, me traté a una cena un poco más cara que normal. Me dormí bien y cogí el autobus a las 8.55. Llegué a Teruel y me dio tiempo para llegar al punto de encuentro del BlaBlaCar que me llevó a Zaragoza donde tenía que coger un autobús al próximo destino. Jueves es el día del mercadillo de Teruel.

I have visited a ton of beautiful places in Spain. Albarracín is by far one of the most spectacular I have had the opportunity to see. He visto muchos sitios preciosos en España. Albarracín es uno de los más espectulares e impresionantes que he tenido la oportunidad ver.

I love the monumentos of Fallas, I really do. The fireworks are a dazzling display each and every time. The Carrers de Llum are a masterpiece. And who doesn’t have a certain fascination with watching things safely burn? Molan los monumentos de Fallas, de verdad. Los fuegos artificiales son una exhibición resplandeciente cada vez. Els Carrers de Llum son obras maestras. ¿Y a quién no le fascina cosas quemar (con mucha precaución)?

However, I do not like hordes of people, and I do like travelling. As I haven’t had a lot of holiday time this school-year to take off to unexplored rincones of Spain, I decided a while back that I was going to use this time to travel. Sin embargo, no me gustan las aglomeraciones de gente,pero me gusta viajar. Como no he tenido muchos festivos este año escolar para explorar rincones desconocidos de España, decidí hace mucho tiempo que iba a usar estas vacaciones para viajar.

I saw various monuments being planted and the streets lit up before leaving on Wednesday morning. Y antes de irme, vi la planta de varios monumentos y las calles llenas de luces antes de marcharme miércoles por la mañana.

I want to take time to write about them the way they deserve, so be on the look out very soon. For now…time to rest. Quería tomar mi tiempo para escribir de ellos como merecen, entonces…a continuación. Por ahora…toca descansar.

Spanish exclaves have always fascinated me. An exclave is a territory that is surrounded entirely by a different province, region or even country. Spain has quite a few, and Ademuz has been on my radar for five years now. However, without a car, it’s a pretty difficult place to get to due to lack of public transportation. It’s a village of 1286 inhabitants about 140 km from Valencia (86 miles) from the Valencia capital. Los exclaves españoles siempre me han fascinado. Un exclave es un territorio que está rodeado por una provincia, región o incluso país diferente. España tiene unos cuantos, y he querido visitar Ademuz desde hace cinco años ahora. Sin embargo, sin coche, es un sitio bastante difícil llegar dado que no hay mucho transporte público que llega allí. Ademuz es un pueblo de 128 habitantes situado a unos 140 km de Valencia capital.

When I saw that the hiking group in Samarucs, a gay sports association in Valencia, had a weekend planned in Ademuz, I immediately made plans to go. I was nervous but excited, hoping to get to know more people, and after the excursion to Cova Tollada, I was a bit less nervous. A bit. Until I saw the forecast. Rain. Did I not leave Bilbao to escape the torrential rains that were affecting me so much? Cuando vi que el grupo de senderismo de Samarucs, un club deportivo gay en Valencia, tenía una excursión a Ademuz planificado, me apunté. Estaba nervioso pero emocionado. Quería conocer gente nueva, y después de la excursión a Cova Tollada, estaba algo menos nervioso. Un poco. Hasta que vi la predicción de tiempo. Lluvia. ¿No me marché de Bilbao en parte para escapar las lluvias torrenciales que estaba afectándome tanto?

We left bright and early Saturday morning, the 22nd of October, from the Torres de Quart. It took about an hour and a half to arrive at the Hostal Santo Domingo, an adequate motel in Ademuz. The forecast wasn’t so good, so after the typical Spanish second breakfast (almuerzo in these parts of Spain. Never brunch.), we headed out in cars to some of the places that were originally planned for Sunday. The weather held out for us to explore some of the waterfalls and beauty of Riodeva, a population of 198 residents (2008 statistics). The original plan was to go up the mountain hiking instead of cars, but when the forecast is rain, and when you’re not Basque, things change. Salimos a las 8 de la mañana de Valencia, el 22 de octubre, desde el punto de quedada, Torres de Quart. Tardamos sobre una hora y media para llegar al Hostal Santo Domingo, un hostal adecuado en Adamuz. Todavía daba lluvia por el día, y después de segundo desayuno (aquí conocido como “almuerzo. Nunca brunch.) salimos en coches para visitar unos de los sitios que eran planificados para domingo. El tiempo nos permitió explorar unas cascadas preciosas y la belleza de Riodeva, una población de 198 habitantes según estadísticas de 2008. El plan original era subir el monte caminando en lugar de coche, pero cuando da lluvia y no eres vasco, cambian las cosas.

The waterfalls were beautiful, and the rain held out until we started to eat. We ate quickly before heading out to some abandoned mines and, more interestingly, miner’s houses. Las cascadas eran preciosas, y la lluvia no empezó hasta que empezamos a comer. Por eso, comemos rápido antes de ir a explorar unas minas abandonadas y, aún más interesante, las casas antiguos de los mineros.

The miners’ houses were in caves, and they look as if they haven’t been disturbed since the 1950s (they have been under restoration since 2008 or so, and they’re doing an excellent job!) The rain started back up again, so back to the hostal for rest and café to warm up.

In the afternoon, the rain let up again to explore the village of Ademuz, which has character. The dinner at the hostal was great, although I gained a kilo from it. It would’ve been better if we had been hiking all day! I went to bed super early as I was exhausted. Por la tarde, la lluvia paró de nuevo que nos permitió explorar el pueblo de Ademuz, que tiene cáracter. La cena en el hostal estaba bien, aunque me engordé un kilo después de la cena. Estaría aún mejor después de un día completo de senderismo. Me fui a la cama muy pronto como estaba agotado.

We set off for the hike about 11, with the sun trying to peak out. There were a few drops of rain throughout the day, but nothing too drastic. The hike went through some beautiful mountains and sites of the River Ebrón. (The hike is known as “Los Estrechos del Ebrón”, the Straights of Ebrón). The trees were in full autumn foliage display, something I never really saw in Euskadi (because it’s perpetual rain and the leaves just fall off before they have a chance to change colour?) Empezamos a caminar sobre las 11, con el sol intentando decir “hola”. Había unas gotas de lluvia durante el día, pero nada muy drástico. La ruta pasa por montes y sitios preciosos por el Río Ebrón. La ruta se llama “Los estrechos del Ebrón”. Los árboles estaban brillantes con los colores de otoño, algo que nunca vi mucho en Euskado dado a su lluvia perpetuo y las hojas se caen antes de tenían la oportunidad cambiar de color, supongo.

The beauty of nature was talking to me, and I needed time to truly listen. The drawback of going with a large group is there is no time to stop and smell the roses. I think many people who have walked the Camino de Santiago have had a moment or moments where they just needed to stop and have an emotional release, and this moment was building up through me until a point where I had to take advantage of a break so I could have five minutes alone to allow emotions out in a healthy way (ok, I broke down crying to release built up emotion! I’m not ashamed.) I’m an introvert, and I need some time alone to process the experience. And after those five minutes, I felt a LOT better and was able to return to being social and trying to make friends. I learned a lot about myself this weekend. La belleza de la naturaleza estaba hablándome, y me hacía falta escucharlo bien. Lo malo de hacer senderismo en un grupo grande es que no te da tiempo para tomar tiempo a oler las rosas (si hay un buen refrán para decirlo en castellano, porfa, avísame.) Creo que muchos peregrinos a Santiago han tenido un momento cuando tenían que parar para desahogar de emociones, y este momento estaba creciendo dentro de mí hasta que llegué a un punto donde tenía que aprovechar un descanso para tener cinco minutos para desahogar en una manera saludable. Vale, lloré para desahogarme. No tengo vergüenza. Soy introvertido, bastante, y necesito tiempo en solitario para poder entender la experencia. Y después de esos cinco minutos, me encontraba mucho mejor y podía ser sociable y intentar hacer amigos. Aprendí mucho sobre mi mismo este fin de semana.

We ended up at a beautiful waterfall, Calicanto. It provided one of the most beautiful autumn scenes I have ever had the opportunity to see. No, it’s not Niagra, but it is quite spectacular. We ate there before continuing on to Tormón, a few minutes away. Tormón has a population of 28, as of 2014, but it does have an albergue, El Abrigo de Tormón (the winter coat of Tormón).

We went back to El Cuervo by car to pick up the cars. Most people went back to Valencia, but a few cars stopped in the village of Castielfabib, 275 habitants in 2015. We saw more cats than people. The old church was nice, but on a grey autumn Sunday afternoon, there was little going on. Still, it was a village that had been on the Valencia bucket list I’m trying to find the time to officially make, and I was glad to have visited. Volvimos a El Cuervo en coche para recoger los otros coches. La mayoría de las personas volvieron a Valencia, pero algunos paramos en el pueblo de Castielfabib, 275 habitantes en 2015. Vimos más gatos que personas. La iglesia antigua era bonita, pero en un domingo gris del otoño, había poca cosa. Sin embargo, era un pueblo que estaba en la Lista del Cubo (Bucket List, estoy inventando ahora por humor xD) que estoy buscando el tiempo para hacer, y estaba contento visitarlo.

It was a very special weekend, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have experienced it. Era un fin de semana especial, y estoy agradecido haber tenido la oportunidad para tener la experiencia.

Teruel has a reputation for being one of the coldest places in Spain. It’s remote and hard to get to, being the only province capital in the peninsula that lacks a train connection to Madrid. It’s remote and unspoiled by the tourist masses, which means it was right up my alley for a day trip in February 2011. It’s another place I regret I haven’t had the chance to get back to…yet.

Teruel is the smallest province capitals with just 35,000 habitants. Many buildings were constructed with the Mudéjar architecture, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the architecture itself.) It is located 915 metres above sea level. It is just as beautiful, at least for me, as Toledo, Ávila and Segovia, but it still remains isolated, despite the efforts of the Teruel existe (Teruel exists) tourism campaign.

I took the bus from Valencia on Feb. 12, 2011 (I looked up the date on my private journal). I think it left around 8:00, and I was there by 9:30 or so. I walked around the town, visiting the cathedral, the towers, the plaza with its famous statue, and I had a tostada con tomate y JAMÓN. It was delicious. It wasn’t as cold as previously told (although remember, I am originally from Ohio so my idea of cold may not be yours. You’ve been warned). I found the train station and admired the city from down below. I decided to combine trips and take an earlier bus to see Segorbe in Castellón on the way back (which turned out to be a mistake as I missed the bus back to Valencia from Segorbe and had to stay the night!).

From my personal journal…I didn’t write much. Darn. I got up early to catch the first bus to Teruel, which is this awesome little pueblo that’s a province capital. It’s really beautiful, but you can see everything there is to see in about an hour. And I even stopped for some tostada with JAMÓN, which was the best jamón ever.

Set Meravelles

Torres y iglesias de Teruel

Teruel has four churches included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Mudéjar Architectures. All of them are incredibly beautiful. You have the Torre (Tower) de El Salvador, Catedral de Teruel, Iglesia (Church) of San Pedro (which is home of the Tomb of the Amantes (Lovers) of Teruel) and the Iglesia de La Merced to choose from if you want to see Mudéjar architecture. There are a few other churches here too in other styles.

Plaza del Torico (Carlos Castell)

The main plaza of Teruel has an interesting statue in the centre. The fountain has a small bull at the top watching the city. The fountain dates back to 1375 but has been replaced two times since. The current one was erected in 1858. Legend has it two soldiers ignored the orders of King Alfonso II followed a bull due to some dreams they had. The bull lead them here to start a new population. It is the one of the most famous landmarks of the province.

Jamón

I’ve said many times I’m not really a foodie (I could live on Spanish tostada alone and be happy), but Spanish jamón serrano is the best ham in the world. Teruel is known for it. To go to Teruel and not try jamón (sorry vegetarians! You are exempt, of course!) is like to go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower. Teruel is famous for “buen jamón serrano” (“buen” is good.)

Albarracín (visited 2017)

Albarracín has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful villages in all of Spain (and probably attracts more tourists than the province capital.) Although it only has 1000 habitants, the village is quite beautiful and surrounded by mountains and offers a ton of hiking opportunities. It also offers a lot of history and a chance to experience authentic rural life.

Mirambel

Even smaller than Albarracín with only 137 habitants (2004 census), the village of Mirambel is located close to the Castellón border in the Maestrazgo mountains. It’s mentioned by Basque writer Pío Baroja in La Venta de Mirambel and offers beautiful mountains and conserves some of its old walls.

Castillo de Mora de Rubielos

There are a lot of castles in Spain, and I would love to have the chance to just go touring all the castles (and then write about them, of course!) The castle located in Mora de Rubielos, population 1700 in 2009, is definitely on my list. The village is located in the mountains (like most places in Teruel).

Alcañiz

Alcañiz is the second largest city in the province with 16,000 folks calling it home. The Jewish population of the city were protected until the Inquisition and had to pay a fine if they wished to move out of the city. Today you can still visit the Calatravos Castle, a gothic market, underground passages and a few churches. Nearby, you can see rock paintings of the Val del Charco del Agua Amargo.

Teruel province is also home of Miravete de la Sierra, population 12, which calls itself El Pueblo Donde Nunca Pasa Nada (the village where nothing ever happens). This marketing campaign has actually brought a number of curious visitors. I am sure if I ever have a car, I’ll be one of the curious ones.

After experiencing Fallas in 2011, one would think I have had enough of Spanish Festivals for a lifetime…not so much. It is true that I am one of those introverts who just doesn’t like being around masses of people. I’m just not a festival or life-of-the-party type. I prefer sitting back and observing. However, I also tend to feel guilty about “missing out” on something. I still have yet to see San Fermines (maybe next year). But there are many other festivals to see, especially in the Basque Country region.

Last year, when I moved to Bilbao, I took advantage of living close and went to Basque capital, Vitoria, on the 4th of August to see the beginning of the Festivales de la Virgen Blanca. I am NOT a fan whatsoever of the Basque “chupinazo” which involves getting everyone extremely wet with wine. This was strike one against it. Strike two was just too many people crowded into the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. However, it was really cool to see the descent of the “Celedón” to start the festivities. If only I didn’t have to be drowned in wine to see it.

As the Basques like their festivals, they have it planned to have three weeks straight of festivals between the three biggest cities. I missed the festivals of Donostia, but living in Bilbao meant I had to survive Aste Nagusia.

Marijaia is the symbol of Aste Naguisa, a cariacture of a Basque woman ready to party. She is seen everywhere on the posters advertising the event, and when she arrives on the third Saturday of August, the parties begin.

Aste Nagusia began in 1978 and is becoming one of the biggest festivals in Spain. From extremely weird street theatre performances outside the Teatro Arriaga to walking giants to nightly firework displays, Aste Nagusia has something for everyone…except peace and quiet. They also have street discos, Basque dances and concerts. For nine days, Bilbao is filled with people. And then on the fourth Sunday, Marijaia takes a nice sail on a raft down the Nervión Ría to meet a fiery death. The party is over until next year.

Each village has their own festival too. The most infamous in the Basque Country would have to be in Lekeitio, where for San Antonlines, people compete by seeing who can hang onto a dead goose the longest. The goose used to be alive for this event. I’m not sure whether I’ll make it to this one. We’ll see.

I have been to a couple of other festivals in Spain. In October 2012 I went to Zaragoza for the Pilares, which honour the patron saint of Zaragoza, Pilar. Like the Fallas, they have an offering of flowers which takes place on October 12. All day long, people dress in the traditional costumes of Aragón to offer Pilar flowers. The next day, they offer fruit. There are tons of concerts, fireworks and other fesitivities too. As all of Spain has the day off for Día de la Hispanidad, this one is quite popular and busy. However, it’s not quite as famous on the international level.

Another festival catching on more and more every year is, of course, gay Pride or Orgullo. I have been twice. Again, as I try to avoid huge conglomerations of people, it’s not really my think. In Madrid, there are so many people that you can’t move. All the bars in Chueca are jam packed with concerts in the street (sometimes. Sometimes, like when I was there in 2011, there are noise ordinances that prohibit sound from being made so everyone had to listen on headphones. I am not making this up.) and drunken tourists everywhere. Pride in Valencia was much calmer and more fun. I remember the drag queen apologizing for not speaking “valenciano”.

So while I am not a party person, I have to admit sometimes festivals can be a good change of pace. The atmosophere changes tremendously with the festivals, and people are happier. The crisis is long forgotten. And I’m sure someone could find a festival in Spain for every day of the year.